One of Covid-19’s biggest agrifoodtech casualties so far is the New Zealand farmer co-op’s scuppered $70 million investment in Afimilk.
The New Zealand-based startup is “ready to focus on commercialization and building a global footprint” for its UV light recipe tech with Steve Sibulkin on board.
Trade Me – New Zealand’s answer to eBay – is listing livestock and feed on its auction platform after being registered as an ‘essential service’ provider.
The New Zealand dairy farmers’ cooperative made its bid for Israel’s Afimilk before the worst of the pandemic hit, but says it’ll continue to seek investment opportunities.
Biolumic has created a seedling treatment using UV light that it says boosts the yield of specialty crops by up to 22% while also making plants heartier and more pest resistant.
The New Zealand agtech ecosystem is starting to gain recognition for its innovation well beyond the boundaries of New Zealand.
New Zealand’s agtech sector is in robust health with great deal flow opportunities for international, as well as domestic, investors. But the country lacks a coherent story that articulates our strengths in this space, writes Peter Wren-Hilton.
The founder of Rockit Global, the New Zealand company that holds the global rights to the mini Rockit apple variety, has sold over 50% of the company to two private equity firms Pioneer Capital and Oriens Capital for around N$25 million ($17 million).
Sprout’s agritech accelerator helped startups raise $1.5m in the first cohort, but the program is doing more to differentiate itself than pure funding.
Engender Technologies, a company that has developed a laser-based method for sexing livestock sperm, last week raised a $4.5 million.
The BCC (Building Clever Companies) has launched Sprout Agri-Tech, a 20-week accelerator program to help formalize a disparate agtech startup scene in New Zealand.
New Zealand-focused asset manager Craigmore Farming is launching its second fund to focus 100% on dairy at the request of pension fund clients.
